Teacher interview with Ms Alexandra

February 13, 2019February 12, 2019

What was your dream job when you were little?

I had a lot. ☺ First, I wanted to be a lawyer. Then, I think because of a movie or something I decided to be a heart surgeon. But my biggest dream was to become an Egyptologist, because the first time I studied about Ancient Egypt in primary school was like ‘love at first sight’. My favourite part was the 18th dynasty and of course Tutankhamun, so I read everything I could about him and I still remember a lot of things.

What was your favorite subject as a high school student?

Well, surprisingly Spanish. ☺ And Hungarian language and literature.

How did you get the nickname Gigi?? Who was the first to call you that?

According to my mother, I kept saying ‘gigi’ when I was a baby, so it became my nickname. And I really don’t know who was the first in the family to call me this, but possibly my grandmother.

What is your favorite Spanish word/expression?

Good question. I don’t think I could choose, I love all of them. But if I had to say one, it would be la burbuja. It means… okay, I won’t tell you, find it out, but please use wordreference.com, not Google Translator or SpanishDict. ☺

Do you have a favorite book? (Or movie) what is it?

Again it’s difficult to choose. I love Argentinian literature; one of my favourite writers is Jorge Luis Borges. I love all of his short stories and basically everything he wrote. I also love detective stories, which is the topic of my PhD work as well. So I read Conan Doyle, Edgar Allan Poe and a lot more. And of course fantasy: The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter…etc

When it comes to movies I love every Marvel film, and series like Supernatural, The Big Bang Theory, Doctor Who.

Which fictional character would be the most interesting to meet in real life?

The Doctor from Doctor Who. Especially the 11th Doctor. ☺

What’s the best type of cheese?

All the types. I love cheese!

Would you rather be able to teleport anywhere or be able to read minds?

I think I’d choose teleport, so when the weather is too cold I could instantly go to Spain, Andalusia to drink a tinto de verano on the beach. ☺

What is the one question you wish you knew the answer to?

How my future will look like? Will I reach all my goals in life?

If your day was 36 hours long, what new habit would you pick up, or do more?

Each other. I mean, if you travel by public transport or just simply walk on a street you see that nobody really cares about the others: they push you over, they care only about themselves to catch the tram, to get what they want… It would be nice to see more caring people interested in not just the clothes, the type of smartphone or whatever else the others have, but rather the way someone feels or the way we could help each other, even in the case of a complete stranger.

What is your motto in life? Or favorite quote?

My favourite quote, or it can also be a motto, is from a poem of a Spanish poet Antonio Machado: “Caminante, no hay camino,/ se hace camino al andar./ Al andar se hace el camino,/y al volver la vista atrás/se ve la senda que nunca/se ha de volver a pisar.” It means that you’re the only one who can do something in your own life, you’re a walker who makes the road. You’re the one who can make your dreams come true.

What is the most relaxing place you’ve ever been to?

Valencia, a city in Spain: I love the beach, the streets, and everything there.

If all jobs had the same pay and hours, what job would you like to have?

I think I would still prefer to be a teacher. ☺ Or an Egyptologist.

What is your idea of happiness?

To be with or close to the people you love, to spend time with them. To have pets, especially a cat, because cats are the best. ☺ To find those you feel comfortable and happy around, people who you can count on and trust. To belong somewhere!

It’s also very important to do what you like and to have a hobby or some kind of activity you do which is different from your job.